If you’re looking for bright, bold, and hilarious hand-made cards designed by independent creators then look no further. Based in our Northern Lights community, Lucy Maggie Designs is the creation of artist Lucy Nicholson, who specialises in colourful greeting cards and stationery with a playful edge.
As well as her own designs, Lucy stocks and supports the designs of other artists, all with their own unique styles. The cards are inspired by popular culture and use a vibrant colour palette to help stand out on the shelf. We spoke to Lucy about the greeting card business and her new venture, Sunshine Llama!
How did Lucy Maggie Designs start?
I came back from a period of travelling and found myself unemployed, so I started designing cards to pass the time. I started selling on Etsy – and sales were slow at first – but over time they grew and I found myself at a stage where I was ready to attend my first trade show. From then, things sort of just expanded…. Fast!
What projects or collaborations have been your favourite to work on?
I’ve recently launched a new brand, Sunshine Llama, which has developed out of the collaborations I had been working on through Lucy Maggie. Sunshine Llama is an independent stationery and giftware publishing brand supporting independent artists who want to get their foot in the door of this very competitive industry. Because I’ve built up a strong customer base through Lucy Maggie, it’s great to be able to expose some of these new designers to buyers that they might not have had access to before.
You’ve collaborated with some great women and non-binary artists. Do you think it’s important for creators to support each other?
1000%. Sunshine Llama is all about lifting up others, the brand is very supportive of other creators! There’s so much positivity around equal opportunity these days and I think it’s great to see.
Do you experience stereotyping in your industry?
The greeting card industry is very skewed towards women, as they’re the primary target gender for card purchasing. There’s actually a lack of male-focused cards on the market today!
What inspires you to get creative?
Sleep. I can’t be creative when I’m tired! Other than that, scrolling through Instagram always gets my creativity going. There’s so much talent out there, it’s hard not to get jealous!
What would your advice be to someone wanting to turn their creative hobby into a business?
Keep at it. It won’t happen instantly and you’ll probably get disheartened often, but perseverance is key. If you truly believe in your product or service, then it will succeed.
Do you have any exciting plans for 2022 you want to share?
The launch of Sunshine Llama would be the primary one!
Lucy Maggie Designs is based in FF15, Northern Lights. You can find their products on sale in Ryde cafe and on the Etsy shop. Don’t forget to follow on social media! @lucymaggiedesigns \ @sunshine_llama_
